Image reading device and image forming apparatus having the same
AssigneeSamsung Electronics Co., Ltd.
InventorHong Seong Kim
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
An image reading device and an image forming apparatus and methods thereof can achieve a duplex scanning operation and enable a user to easily arrange the scanned documents after being discharged. The image reading device may include a supply path coupled to a document supply port, a simplex document feeding path coupled to the supply path to first guide the document to the scan unit, a duplex document feeding path coupled to the supply path to second guide the document to the scan unit to scan a first surface of the document, and a duplex document circulating path to communicate with the duplex document feeding path and guide a second surface of the first surface scanned document to the scan unit.
Claims17
An image reading device to perform a simplex scanning operation to scan only one surface of a document and a duplex scanning operation to scan two surfaces of the document, comprising:
- a scan unit to read information recorded on the document;
- a supply path connected to a document supply port;
- a simplex document feeding path to branch from the supply path in a first direction to guide the document to the scan unit in the simplex scanning operation;
- a duplex document feeding path to branch from the supply path in a second direction to guide the document to the scan unit to scan a first surface of the document in the duplex scanning operation;
- a duplex document circulating path with a first end to communicate with the duplex document feeding path to guide the document whose first surface has been scanned to the scan unit in the duplex scanning operation;
- a first path guide unit to close the duplex document feeding path and open a discharge path when the document having passed through the duplex document circulating path is fed toward the discharge path;
- and
- a second path guide unit to close the simplex document feeding path and open the duplex document circulating path when the document having passed through the duplex document feeding path is fed toward the duplex document circulating path,
- wherein the simplex document feeding path and the duplex document circulating path share an overlap region, and
- the overlap region is located linearly between the duplex document feeding path and the duplex document circulating path.
An image forming apparatus comprising:
- an image reading device having document feeding paths to pass a document and a scan unit to read information recorded on the document, wherein the document feeding paths include:
- a supply path connected to a document supply port;
- a simplex document feeding path to branch from the supply path to guide the document from the supply path to reach the scan unit with upper and lower surfaces of the document turned over;
- a duplex document feeding path to branch from the supply path, to guide the document from the supply path to reach the scan unit with the upper and lower surfaces of the document maintained;
- a duplex document circulating path to communicate with the duplex document feeding path to guide the document whose first surface has been scanned by the scan unit to the scan unit with the upper and lower surfaces of the document turned over;
- a first path guide unit to close the duplex document feeding path and open a discharge path when the document having passed through the duplex document circulating path is fed toward the discharge path;
- a second path guide unit to close the simplex document feeding path and open the duplex document circulating path when the document having passed through the duplex document feeding path is fed toward the duplex document circulating path;
- and
- a white roller located opposite the scan unit to rotate in a forward direction and in a reverse direction.
An image reading device, comprising:
- a scan unit;
- a simplex document feeding path to guide a document from a supply port to the scan unit in a first direction to scan a first side of the document in a simplex scanning;
- a duplex document feeding path to guide the document from the supply port to the scan unit in a second direction to scan the first side of the document in a duplex scanning;
- a duplex document circulating path to receive the document in the second direction and to guide the document to the scan unit in the first direction;
- a first path guide unit to close the duplex document feeding path and open a discharge path when the document having passed through the duplex document circulating path is fed toward the discharge path;
- and
- a second path guide unit to close the simplex document feeding path and open the duplex document circulating path when the document having passed through the duplex document feeding path is fed toward the duplex document circulating path,
- wherein the simplex document feeding path and the duplex document circulating path share an overlap region, and
- the overlap region is located linearly between the duplex document feeding path and the duplex document circulating path.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.